Public Notice. In Reply Refer To: Corps File No. LRE S18 Date: August 3, 2018 Expires: August 23, 2018

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1 US Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District Public Notice Applicant: Port of Monroe In Reply Refer To: Corps File No. LRE S18 Date: August 3, 2018 Expires: August 23, 2018 Proposed Discharge of Fill into Wetlands Adjacent to River Raisin at Monroe, Michigan Applicant: Port of Monroe, 10 Port Avenue, P.O. Box 585, Monroe, MI Project Location: The site is located at 26 McMillan Avenue, Monroe, Section 9, Township 7 S, Range 9 E, Monroe County, Michigan, Federal Authority: The applicant has applied for a Department of the Army permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. State Authority: Section 401 of the Clean Water Act requires that all discharges of dredged or fill material must be certified by the State as complying with applicable effluent limitations and water quality standards. Coastal Zone Management Certification (or waiver thereof) is required from the State of Michigan if this proposed activity would occur within the designated coastal zone. Project Description: As shown on the attached plans, the applicant proposes to discharge approximately 3,875 cubic yards of fill material in a 0.9 acre emergent wetland located adjacent to the River Raisin. The purpose of the proposed work is to increase the area for cargo handling at the existing Port of Monroe site, improving maritime security and improving vessel navigation. Avoidance & Minimization: The applicant has stated the following concerning avoidance and minimization of impacts to Waters of the United States: The Port of Monroe (Port) operations are dependent on adjacency and connection to deep navigable water. Currently, the Port is proposing the development of a 3.5-acre site (Site) they own for indoor or outdoor storage of bulk or break-bulk cargo, which will result in 0.9 acres of wetland impacts. Converting these wetland acreages from undeveloped land to integrated pieces of the existing Port operations system satisfies three Port goals for the use and improvement of the Port property located adjacent to deep water. Two of these goals are directly related to public safety:

2 File No. LRE S18 August 3, To improve Cargo Handling Efficiencies: bulk storage, receipt, and transport of materials using the River Raisin as a mode of transportation; 2. To improve Maritime Security; and, 3. To improve Public Safety: vessel navigation. Historic heavy industrial land use has impacted the Site significantly. The property does not represent natural coastal areas and is not directly connected to the river as a result of the placement of armored shore protection and built-up land. The Site represents the last area of undeveloped riverfront shoreline on Port property, creating a gap for the efficient use of the area for waterfront maritime activities and creating the inability to achieve the stated goals of the Project. The Project is directly related to and dependent on proximity to the River Raisin, a navigable waterway, and to the use of the Portowned property located along the river for the intended cargo handling uses, and for the establishment of maritime security measures. All other Port-owned property surrounding the Site is developed. As a result, alternatives are limited to no-action or the Project as proposed. The Corps has not verified the adequacy of the applicant s avoidance and minimization statement at this time. Compensatory Mitigation: The applicant has stated the following concerning compensatory mitigation for unavoidable impacts to Waters of the United States: They propose to purchase credits from an approved mitigation bank at a 1.5:1 ratio. The wetland impacts (0.9 acre) will be mitigated through the use of DEQ-approved wetland mitigation bank credit purchase. Specifically, it is anticipated that 1.35 acres of emergent wetland credits will be purchased from a bank servicing the watershed and/or eco-region in which the proposed wetland impacts will occur. This Project is located in the River Raisin watershed and the Maumee Lake Plain (VI.1.1) eco-region. The Corps has not verified the adequacy of this mitigation proposal at this time. Other Authorizations: A permit is required from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality under applicable provisions of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA), 1994 PA 451.) The State file number is McMillan Street-Monroe. Comments: We are publishing this notice in compliance with Title 33 Code of Federal Regulations Parts Comments on the project should be submitted in writing and postmarked or delivered by the expiration date of this public notice. Comments of a positive or negative nature may be submitted. All responses must refer to file number LRE S18. We will interpret a lack of response as meaning that there is no objection to the permit application. Comments should be filed with: 2

3 File No. LRE S18 August 3, 2018 Eric J. Warda Chief, Permit Evaluation Eastern Branch Regulatory Office Detroit District, Corps of Engineers 477 Michigan Avenue Detroit, Michigan Comments may be ed to: but must include a name and mailing address. Public Hearing: Any person may request, in writing, within the comment period specified in this notice, that a public hearing be held to consider this application. Requests for public hearings shall state, with particularity, the reasons for holding a public hearing. Evaluation: The decision whether to issue the Department of the Army permit will be based on evaluation of the probable impacts of the proposed activity on the public interest. That decision will reflect the national concerns for both protection and utilization of important resources. The benefit which reasonably may be expected to accrue from the proposal must be balanced against its reasonably foreseeable detriments. All factors which may be relevant to the proposal will be considered including the cumulative effects thereof; among those are conservation, economics, aesthetics, general environmental concerns, wetlands, historic properties, fish and wildlife values, flood hazards, floodplain values, land use, navigation, shoreline erosion and accretion, recreation, water supply and conservation, water quality, energy needs, safety, food and fiber production, mineral needs, considerations of property ownership, and, in general, the needs and welfare of the people. The Corps of Engineers is soliciting comments from the public; Federal, State, and local agencies and officials; Indian Tribes; and other interested parties in order to consider and evaluate the impacts of this proposed activity. Any comments received will be considered by the Corps of Engineers to determine whether to issue, modify, condition or deny a permit for this proposal. To make this decision, comments are used to assess impacts on endangered species, historic properties, water quality, general environmental effects, and the other public interest factors listed above. Comments are used in the preparation of an Environmental Assessment and/or an Environmental Impact Statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act. Comments are also used to determine the need for a public hearing and to determine the overall public interest of the proposed activity. This activity involves the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United States. Therefore, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' evaluation of the impact of the 3

4 File No. LRE S18 August 3, 2018 activity on the public interest will include application of the guidelines promulgated by the Administrator of the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, under the authority of Section 404(b)(1) of the Clean Water Act. Endangered Species: We will review this application for the potential impact on threatened or endangered species pursuant to Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act as amended. We are not aware of the presence of any listed species or critical habitat at or in the vicinity of the proposed worksite. We invite information and/or comments regarding the potential presence of, or impacts to, any listed species or critical habitat. Cultural Resources: The District Staff has reviewed existing information on historic properties potentially affected by the proposed project, including the National Register of Historic Places. There are no recorded historic properties within the permit area. The permit area has been so extensively modified by modern development that little likelihood exists for the proposed project to impinge upon an undisturbed historic property. The District Engineer invites responses to this public notice from federal, state and local agencies, historical and archaeological societies, Indian tribes, and other parties likely to have knowledge of or concerns with historic properties in the area. Additional Information: This public notice and drawings are also available for viewing/printing at: px. Questions concerning this application may be directed to Robert Morningstar at the Corps of Engineers address listed above, or telephone number (313) FOR THE DISTRICT ENGINEER: Eric J. Warda Chief, Permit Evaluation Eastern Branch Regulatory Office NOTICE TO POSTMASTERS: We request that the above notice be conspicuously and continuously posted for the time period of this notice. 4

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